Pac-12 announces softball players of the week

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - OREGON senior first baseman Kailee Cuico and ARIZONA STATE senior Dallas Escobedo have been voted the Pac-12 Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for play from March 31-April 6, the Conference office announced today. 

Cuico (Carson, Calif.) homered three times and posted 12 runs batted in as the Ducks took both games of a mid-week doubleheader with UC Santa Barbara and won two of three in a series with top-ranked UCLA. She went 6-of-13 over the course of the five games for a .462 batting average, along with a 1.154 slugging percentage and a .533 on-base percentage. Her seven RBI in the second game of the UCLA series, where Cuico hit a three-run shot and a grand slam, tied the UO single-game record and gave her 161 career RBI, making her Oregon’s career RBI leader as she broke the previous record of 155. 

Escobedo (Glendale, Ariz.) recorded 23 strikeouts in 12.0 total innings over the course of two games, both of which were victories for the senior as she helped the Sun Devils sweep Cal on the road for the team’s first road Pac-12 sweep in over a year and just the fourth sweep of Cal all-time since 1988. She gave up just six hits and four walks, allowing only two earned runs for a 1.17 earned run average. Escobedo struck out 13 in a 7-2 victory in the opener of the series before adding 10 more on Sunday to complete the sweep, giving her double-digit strikeouts in four consecutive games. Her 10-0 shutout in the series finale was her ninth of the season, which leads the Pac-12. She is now 16-5 on the season. 

It is the second-career honor for Cuico, who received it last year on April 1. It is Oregon’s 47th all-time honor and marks the third-consecutive week that Oregon has received a player or a pitcher of the week award. Escobedo has now received Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors eight times over the course of her career, tied for the second-most honors for an Arizona State player all-time with former Sun Devil Kirsten Voak, who also has eight, and behind Katie Burkhart who has nine. It is the 82nd selection for Arizona State all-time.  

UCLA and Oregon face off this weekend in what is sure to be a marquee matchup. The three-game series stretches from April 4 to April 6 and takes place on UO’s home turf in Eugene. All three games will be televised on Pac-12 Networks. 

For more information, including a full schedule, visit www.pac-12.com. 

Also Nominated:
Player: Katiyana Mauga, ARIZ; Haley Steele, ASU; Kailee Cuico, ORE; Kylie Padilla, OSU; Erin Ashby, STAN; Stephany LaRosa, UCLA; Bridget Castro, UTAH.  
Pitcher: Madi Schreyer, STAN; Paige McDuffee, UCLA; Sammy Cordova, UTAH. 

2014 Pac-12 Softball Players of the Week